Re: Silly Shrinkwrapped Encryption

[Eric Cordian <emc@wire.insync.net>]

Bill Frantz writes:

> It seems to me that if you step on the correct part of the message, you
> zap the encrypted 24 bits, and cut NSA out of the loop.  Of course the
> receiver could notice and refuse to decrypt, which would require some
> software hacking to defeat, but that is certainly doable. 

Yes - I doubt if Lotus Notes has the ability to distinguish between
messages containing ASCII for "FUD" in the workfactor reduction field and
those containing 24 genuine bits of the key in question.  It's probably
a one-instruction patch to disable Big Brother.

As I recall, the LEAF field in Clipper suffered from a similar ability
to be disabled at the user's pleasure. 

--
Eric Michael Cordian 0+
O:.T:.O:. Mathematical Munitions Division
"Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law"